Oct 242016
 

I’m rushing today, because my Broncos are on Monday Night Meditation in the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb.  I need to do some schedule juggling for that, and it’s more difficult today, because I’m suffering a mild case of Republicosis.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:58 (average 5:47).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Politico: President Barack Obama will make a late splash into races for state senate and assembly over the next week, endorsing roughly 150 candidates across 20 states.

He’ll also back a candidate for the North Carolina Supreme Court.

The endorsements — which will come along with a variety of robocalls, social media posts, mailers, photos of Obama with the candidates taken as he’s been traveling to campaign in recent weeks, and even a few radio ads — are Obama’s biggest investment in state races ever by far, and come as he gears up to make redistricting reform at the state level the political priority of his post-presidency.

This is the beginning of that effort, an unprecedented engagement all the way down-ballot for any president.

Kudos to Obama. Wherever there is so much as a Republican dog catcher, even dawgs should lift their legs in opposition!

From LA Times: Tom Hayden, a 1960s radical who was in the vanguard of the movement to stop the Vietnam War and became one of the nation’s best-known champions of liberal causes, has died in Santa Monica after a lengthy illness. He was 76.

Hayden vaulted into national politics in 1962 as lead author of a student manifesto that became the ideological foundation for demonstrations against the war.

President Nixon’s Justice Department prosecuted Hayden in the raucous “Chicago 7” trial following the violent clashes with police at the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

I knew Tom, and although I often disagreed with him over whether to respond to police brutality passively or violently, he was a great leader in a troubled time, who stayed the course. Thoughts and prayers for all who loved him.

From Daily Kos: …In 2015, Daily Kos Elections published a series of articles where we attempted to draw entirely nonpartisan congressional maps for every state—the sort of maps you’d expect a court or a non-political redistricting commission to produce. These hypothetical maps take into account traditional nonpartisan redistricting criteria, such as respect for the Voting Rights Act, city and county integrity, communities of interest like shared culture or demographics, and geographic compactness, and they ignore things like partisanship or where incumbents live.

We then calculated the 2012 election results for president and other races for these hypothetical districts on the map shown at the top of this post (you can find a larger version here). From there, we estimated how the 2012 House elections might have turned out under these nonpartisan districts to try to measure the impact of gerrymandering.

Our conclusion was both astounding and infuriating: Gerrymandering likely cost Democrats a net of 25 seats in 2012, more than the 17 they needed to claim a majority that year, and far more than the eight they actually did gain.

With only some small exceptions, the same maps will be used again this year, and Daily Kos Elections and other analysts currently project Democratic gains of only around 10 to 20 seats, well short of the 30 the party now needs for a majority, following heavy losses in 2014. As a result, gerrymandering could once again cost Democrats a majority in 2016 even if they win more votes cast in House races nationwide than Republicans do—as they did in 2012.

It is critical that Democrats gain control of State governments in time for the redistricting that follows the 2020 census. Far more Americans will vote for a Democratic Representative than for a Republican next month. Nevertheless, I expect Republicans to hold the House Majority.

Cartoon:

1024Cartoon

Thanks labor!

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  15 Responses to “Open Thread – 10/24/2014”

  1. 5:54 (5:42)  Well, that was a goodly amount of bull (and apparently I wasa one of the average raisers)

    Politico – Yes, a hopeful sign.  I hope it will be the beginning of a gift that keeps on giving!

    LA Times – When I read of this I figured you probably knew him.  My condolences to you and all who knew him.

    DKos – Very well said, and put in terms that anyone should be able to understand.  All of which makes it even more important what Obama is doing.

    Cartoon – Yes, thanks unions!  Thanks organizers!  Thanks, workers with courage!  Of course the Republicans want it gone, that goes without saying.

    UPDATE:  In my Saturday Everyday Erinyes I discussed veterans who are being dunned for enlistment and reenlistment bonuses they were paid.  There is now a whitehouse.gov petition for "forgiveness" of these debts.  I updated that post, but I'll share it here too:  https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/forgive-all-bonus-overpayments-paid-military-personnel-reenlistment-purposes-and-refund-monies-already-collected  It is much easier to sign White House petitions than it ised to be; login is no longer required.  You just enter your information, they send you and email to confirm, and you click in that email.

    • (I saw your post over at Daily Kos WRT the petition.)

      Haven't done a dedicated search, but would appreciate anyone who has who came across the legal imperative – as claimed by the military – to claw-back the bonuses. 

      There must be some truth to it, because surely they realized how utterly craven this makes them look.  They can't be THAT stupid, can they?

      • Somewhere in Title 10 US Code, it says something like, any money paid out that is not due must be recovered, yes.  I was always better on regulation than on law (even so I was better on law than some of my co-workers), but it's been 40 years since I looked at either, and I can't pinpoint where.  BUT it's not true that there is no remedy possible.  In sticky cases, senior officers in the Disbursing/Finance field can respond to appeals with opinions which are analagous to judges' opinions in civilian life.  I wrote one once (there were about half a dozen of us trying to write the opinion to allow the Marine to keep the bonus, and I was the once whose phraseology clicked with everyone – of course it's a longer story than that but I'll try not to bore you.)  Beyond that, there are appeals to JAG and if all else fails Congress can pass something.  (I might add that the law is probably not as picky as you or I would be about making sure there is justice in from WHOM the money is recovered.)

        • We can't count on Congress.  House Republicans will demand that the loss be offset with cuts to school lunches or women's health.  When Democrats refuse to swallow that poison pill, they will accuse Democrats of abandoning our Vets.

          • You are probably right.  I admit, however, to surprise today at receiving a "Lucifer Lamborn Letter" stating that he doesn't think the vets should have to repay the bonuses.  However, he seems to think that VA officials should be doing the repaying out of their pockets, which makes no sense at all – they had nothing to do with the errors frauds.  Me, I am thinking the Black Budget Slush Fund would be a great source.

    • Petition signed and shared.

    • Petition signed.

      Did I read that some of these go back 10 years?  Is there no statue of limitations?  The military made the "mistake" and they should own up to it, not service members. 

    • There is a related petition @ Care2 that could do with some help.  No need to be a Care2 member to sign.

      Stop Forcing California National Guard Soldiers to repay their enlistment bonuses

      http://www.thepetitionsite.com/en-ca/takeaction/842/217/784/

       

  2. Politico: How wonderful!! and Kudos to our President!

    LA Times: My sincerest condolences to his family, community, and to you, Tom with his passing.

    DK: Very important to get out and vote Blue all the way.

    Cartoon: YAY!! I can't even fathom one working 100 hours a week. As a side note here: Working in Education, it was hard to put the pen down at 4/4:30 p.m. I am sure most work more hours that. (giggle) Grading papers, calling parents, lesson preparation for the next day, etc.  I work better between 5 am to 1 too.

    Oh no, hope that you get rid of the R's! Hopefully, it will be gone by 8:30. Enjoy your evening, take care, and Thanks, Tom.

    *Joanne ~ Definitely signed petition for our Veterans to keep their re-enlistment bonuses. As it should be!! Thank you.

  3. Politico: Sounds good to me!

    LA Times: A sad loss.

    DK: Gerrymandering is what you do when you know that you can't win in an honest manner.  Honesty does not enter the political wars, only what will work to get, and keep, power…SCREW THE PEOPLE!

    Cartoon: So, do you like the 40 hour week, weekends off, laws against child labor-support unions, vote out those who do not support unions; get rid of "right to work "laws!

  4. Politico:  Good for President Obama, he is doing all that he can to help the American public.

    LA Times:  I remember those newscasts that portrayed him as an enemy of the country.  He stayed the fight and proved them wrong.  I think his biggest error in judgment was marrying Jane Fonda, that cost him a lot of credibility.

    Daily Kos:  The gerrymandering will take a long time to go away.  I hope we get enough seats to start the process.

    Cartoon:  I am sure a lot of minimum wage workers who have to hold two jobs to survive would love a 40 hour work week.  

  5. Puzzle — 3:51  I think I'll ship that bull to Drumpf and give it to him horns first!  Maybe he'll get the point.

    Politico — Kudos indeed!  Obama is in a unique position to help down ticket races.

    LA Times — I remember Hayden and the Chicago 8, including Abbie Hoffman.  The 60s were a time of radical change, peaceful and violent.

    Daily Kos — It's time to take the fight to the Republicans! 

    "Daily Kos Elections published a series of articles where we attempted to draw entirely nonpartisan congressional maps for every state—the sort of maps you’d expect a court or a non-political redistricting commission to produce. "

    There, some of the work of political reform has been scoped out.  To get the reform further developed

    VOTE BLUE ALL DOWN THE LINE!!!

    Cartoon — 40 IN 40!  Republicans would roll back that kind of labour protection returning labour back to the 19th century!

  6. Hope you get over your Republicosis soon, TomCat, and not have to wait until November 8.

    Politico: Well, it may be "an unprecedented engagement all the way down-ballot " but it's certainly not unpresidented. With his own approval rates up, his endorsement to those 150 candidates on all levels across the states are bound to make a difference. Many of them will no longer be the "unknowns" and his attention will do their campaigns a lot of good.

    LAT: Sad news, Tom Hayden's passing is a great loss to all who knew him.

    DK: "gerrymandering could once again cost Democrats a majority in 2016 even if they win more votes cast in House races nationwide than Republicans do", infuriating indeed. The GOP of course will persist saying they express the will of the people. The system is in need of an overhaul, and you may have a chance of doing that in 2020 (before or after the next election?), but only if you get as much Democrats in Congress as possible right now. You may not get the House majority, but please make sure you get as close to it as you can.

    Cartoon: Edie has said it all.

  7. Thanks all!  Hugs!!

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